Gabriella, Gabriella
by Realm1993
Summary: Gabriella. She was new to Mystic Falls. She was just trying to make a life for herself when it happened. Gabriella. She was different. She was strong but fragile as glass. She was frightened but spoke words of fire. Her scent was intoxicating, her blood, addictive... Damon couldn't get enough. She'd just been there in the wrong place at the wrong time... Too bad for her. Damon/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: So, this is my first fan fiction to be posted on here! Comments and Criticism is welcomed! Just no hating and flaming, please! This fan fiction will be taking place at the beginning of Season 4 of the Vampire Diaries. I'm going to try to stay as close to the lore and universe as I possibly can, but this _is_ a fan fiction. It will stray a bit from Canon and may become it's own story eventually. You have been warned!**

* * *

Gabriella wasn't too sure what she was doing there. Everything was mostly a blur, a feeling of vertigo and pain.

She stood from where she was lying on the cold, hard ground and looked around at the immediate area: Trees, more trees… Even more trees… Well… there was a rock. At least that was something different…

Gabriella saw a tall spire poking its tip out from behind the trees. She recognized it instantly as the church everyone in Mystic Falls went to.

Taking a step in the direction of the familiar streets of her new home, Gabriella felt wobbly and dizzy. She grabbed at her head and held still. When the wooziness went away, she ran her hand down the side of her face, to her neck, through her long, blonde hair. Gabriella's eyes widened at the feeling of something wet and sticky on her fingertips:

Blood.

She couldn't help it. She had to scream. Gabriella couldn't have held it back if it had meant her life, and if she was bleeding and couldn't remember what had happened, it probably did.

Gabriella gasped for air and touched her neck again, feeling around for a wound…

Wait.

There was no cut, or bite, or puncture hole.

Then where had the blood come from?

Gabriella swallowed hard and pulled her hood up over her head. She just needed to get home, wash off the blood. She could pretend like nothing ever happened… Maybe nothing really did happen. Maybe she was just dreaming. Yeah, that was probably it. She was probably home in her safe, warm bed, having a nightmare. That _was_ the last place she remembered being, after all.

Gabriella approached the church and looked both ways before crossing the street. She hurried over the bridge and started to make her way to 2106 Maple Street:

Home.

Gabriella passed the Grill, the local hangout for all the residents of Mystic Falls, Virginia. She stopped on the curb, holding her hood closed around her neck, tapping her foot impatiently as traffic whizzed by. She needed to get home. She needed to lock the door and get into bed and go to sleep, forget anything ever had happened.

The tiny hairs on the back of Gabriella's neck stood on end as someone passed behind her. She turned her head slightly, watching as the man, shoulders stiff and ridged, got into his dusty-blue convertible parked on the side of the street. Her eyes met his when his headlights came on, making her feel like a deer in spotlight.

Gabriella turned her head quickly, avoiding any more contact with the man's eyes.

The car pulled away almost silently and drove by her.

Gabriella hurried across the street, making her way to the safety of her own home.

* * *

Gabriella groaned as light shone in through her eyelids. She could never sleep after the sun rose. Light kept her awake. She grabbed a fistful of comforter and pulled it up over her head, groaning loudly. "Go away, sun!" she sighed, slowly opening one eye, and then the other as she removed the covers from her face. Gabriella swung her legs over the side of her bed. Standing, she felt weak-kneed, tired, as if she'd just run a marathon. She walked slowly across the room, to a mirror, and pulled her hair back from her neck. Had she been dreaming?

Gabriella walked into her bathroom and looked in the sink… The towels soaking in the water from the previous night were red, obviously stained with blood.

She bit her lip and picked up the bloody rags, tossing them into a plastic bag, which she tied up and tossed into the trash can outside her house when she'd gone downstairs to make breakfast. Standing on the curb, she took a deep breath, to recollect herself. A cold gust blew and she shook in her robe.

Gabriella hurried back inside and slammed the door shut behind her. She walked into the kitchen to her right and picked up a frying pan, putting it on the stove. She opened her fridge and looked at the food inside. A minute later, she closed it. She just didn't want to cook. Things weren't going well at all, and it had only been a few days since she'd arrived in Mystic Falls.

* * *

Gabriella stood on the outskirts of the forest, in the light rain, on her way to the Mystic Grill. She'd stopped, hoping the scene of the accident would jog her memory. She had to figure out what had happened that night, and figure out why she could barely remember. Seeing the woods led to no such luck.

"Everything okay?" Someone asked from behind her.

Gabriella turned on her heel, looking at a small, dark girl with big green eyes and black hair. "What?" Gabriella asked, sounding as if she were breathless.

"You were just standing there… Is something wrong?"

Gabriella didn't know how to respond. Yeah, something was wrong. But she couldn't tell a stranger. "No… I'm fine." Gabriella faked a smile.

The worried look the dark girl had faded and was replaced with a smile. "I'm Bonnie," she said, holding her hand out for Gabriella to shake.

"Gabriella." She shook the girl's hand.

Bonnie's eyes went wide for a split second, and her grip on Gabriella's hand became slightly tighter. "Oh, my god…"

Gabriella's bottom lip trembled slightly. "I'm sorry?" She pulled her hand from Bonnie's grasp quickly.

"You've been hurt, haven't you?"

Gabriella took a step back. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Gabriella felt her heartbeat quickening as the girl stared her in the eyes for a moment. Bonnie shook her head. "I apologize," she said almost as quickly as Gabriella had retrieved her hand. "Just ignore me." She laughed softly. "Maybe I'll see you around."

Gabriella didn't answer, and with the awkward silence, Bonnie turned and left, jogging off down the sidewalk, splashing puddles under her feet as she went.

Gabriella hurried in the opposite direction, towards the Grill. When she arrived, it started raining harder, and not just raining, but pouring so heavily the raindrops stung her face. Walking inside for shelter, Gabriella ran her fingers through her damp hair and shivered as the warmth from the building consumed her.

"Uhm, excuse me," a blond, young man said, hurrying by her with a tray in his hands.

"Sorry," Gabriella said, barely loud enough for him to even hear. She crossed the room and took a seat at the bar, unbuttoning her pea-coat and drying her face with her scarf she'd had tucked under the collar of her jacket.

"You look soaked," another young man said to her, putting a tray of dirty glasses on the bar near her.

Gabriella looked to her right to find the boy was very good looking, with messy brunette hair and a sweet smile. "I'm fine," she said.

"You want a towel or something?" the boy grabbed the towel slung over his shoulder and held it out to her.

Gabriella couldn't refuse the generous gesture and took the towel from his hands.

"You're not from around here. Just stopping by or are you sticking around?" the boy asked, taking a seat on a stool. He reached across the bar for a damp rag and started wiping the glasses.

"How'd you know that?" Gabriella asked, putting the now-soaked towel on the bar beside the boy.

"I haven't seen you in here before… Either it's just a coincidence we haven't run into each other, or you're new around here. Everyone comes to the Mystic Grill."

Gabriella shook her head. "Yeah, I'm new… I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

The boy smiled, holding out a hand. "Jeremy Gilbert. It's nice to meet you."

Gabriella hesitated before taking his hand. She looked to his eyes and watched them for a moment for anything strange before giving him a big grin back. "Gabriella Adams. Nice to meet you too, Jeremy."

"Well, I should probably get a move-on before I get scolded for sitting around. I'll catch you later."

Gabriella waved her fingers at the boy as he walked off to continue working.

"What can I get for you?" a familiar voice asked Gabriella, her head turned in the direction Jeremy had run off to. She looked to the man behind the bar and smiled. It was the guy she'd almost ran into on her way in.

"Something light? Some wine maybe?"

"The lightest wine we have. Got it." The man (Matt, the nametag read) turned and reached for a fancy bottle and glass.

"And some Bourbon," someone said as he sat down at Gabriella's left.

She suddenly felt very uncomfortable, a chill going up her spine. She cocked her head to the side so her hair would fall over her shoulder, like a curtain hiding her face.

"Put the lady's drink on my tab, Matt," the man beside her added.

"That's not necessary," Gabriella said a little quickly.

Matt put the wine on the table in front of her. "What am I doing, you two?"

"I'm paying for her drink, Donavon," the man's voice sounded stern.

Matt looked at Gabriella with a frown and shrugged. "Okay, sure." Matt grabbed a bottle of liquor off the shelf and a glass and handed it to the stranger.

"Thank you," the man to Gabriella's left said.

She didn't want to engage in small talk. All she'd wanted was to have a little drink while she waited for the storm to pass and then be on her way back home.

"I see you got caught in that nasty weather out there," the stranger said.

Gabriella sipped on her drink. "I did," she said, trying to mask the tone of annoyance and fear in her voice.

"Did you walk here?"

"I did," she said again.

"C'mon now. You don't have to be like that."

Gabriella sighed and pushed her blond locks behind her ear. "I'm not being like anything." She took a look at the man beside her. Her eyebrows rose slightly, and she wondered if he'd noticed. It was the same man who'd been in the car last night.

"You look oddly familiar," he said, half-closing his eyelids over his neon-blue irises.

"Uh, no… Sorry, I don't think I know you."

The man seemed to be examining her, and she was beginning to feel even more uncomfortable. She turned her head and took a swallow of her wine.

Matt came back with a bill and looked at the stranger. "How's Elena, Damon?"

The man beside Gabriella, Damon, frowned, his expression growing a bit dark. "I'm not in the mood to talk about Elena right now."

"You can at least tell me if she's okay… If she's adjusting."

Damon glared up at Matt. "She'll be fine. She's just getting used to it." Damon took a huge gulp of Bourbon.

Matt shook his head and looked to Gabriella. "Can I get you anything else today, Miss?"

Gabriella looked out the window and shook her head. "No. I'm alright. I'm going to be heading out soon." Gabriella took another swallow of her wine, finishing it. "Thank you. It was good."

"Yeah, sure," Matt replied, taking the glass.

Damon sighed and turned his head to look at Gabriella as she slipped her coat back on. "You're not really going to go back out in that, are you?"

"It's slowing down. I'll be fine."

"If you wait a minute, I'll give you a ride."

Gabriella shook her head. "Again, I'm fine… Really." She buttoned up her coat and flipped her hood up over her head. She heard Damon groan beside her. "Thank you for the drink," she said quickly, walking off.

"Hey! You didn't pay, Damon!" Matt yelled from behind the bar. Gabriella rolled her eyes. Really? He was going to be persistent about a ride too?

"I'll pay tomorrow," Damon replied, jogging after Gabriella as he slid his jacket on. He reached over Gabriella's shoulder to push open the door for her.

"I don't need a ride. Thank you for the offer, but I'm good," Gabriella said, raising a shoulder to shrug him off.

Thunder cracked and lightning lit the sky around Gabriella and she swallowed hard as rain came down all around her. She noticed Damon's convertible next to the crosswalk.

"My ride is _right here_," Damon pressed. "I can get you home nice and dry." Gabriella looked up at him over her shoulder. He was smirking, but not a cocky kind of smirk. He looked like a wet dog. Why was he standing out in the rain for her?

Thunder clapped again and she jumped slightly. "Fine!" she said a bit too quickly, hurrying over to the powder-blue car. "You can take me home."

"Door is unlocked," Damon replied, walking into the street and climbing inside.

"This is it," Gabriella said, pointing to a brick house.

* * *

Damon's eyebrows rose. "Well, that's uncanny."

"What is?" she asked, leaning back.

"My brother's girlfriend lives right next door." He pointed to house number 2104.

"Oh," Gabriella didn't really know how else to reply. She unbuckled the seat belt. "Thanks for the ride… Damon, was it?"

The man shook his head. "Yes it is." He ran his hand back through his wet, black hair. "But I don't think I caught your name."

"Gabriella." Gabriella looked to Damon and smiled. He caught her face in his hand and she gasped, eyes wide.

"You're not going to scream," he said to her.

Gabriella's mind began to go fuzzy, but despite the fear, the aching of a scream caught in her throat, she obeyed. "I won't scream."

"Do you live by yourself, Gabriella?"

She nodded her head slowly.

Damon ran his hand through her hair. "You're going to invite me inside."

"I will," she told him. She got out of the car and headed to her door. Everything inside of her screamed, 'no'. It didn't matter. She didn't have control over herself anymore.

She unlocked her door and opened it wide, stepping inside as Damon just appeared in front of her on the steps, as if he'd moved so quickly from the car to her front door that she hadn't even seen it. "You can come in," she said.

"Don't mind if I do." He was smirking again, but this time his smile was dark. Damon closed the door behind him.

"What's going on?" Gabriella asked.

"Nothing's going on." Damon took a few steps closer to her and she took a step back. He clucked his tongue a few times, reaching out to touch her face. He shushed her softly. "Now, now. Don't run. Don't struggle." His eyes dilated as he spoke orders.

Gabriella continued to obey.

Damon smiled. "That's better." He ran his thumb over Gabriella's lips. "Such a pretty face," he crooned.

She gasped as she found herself up against the wall, Damon's body pressed tight against hers. She could feel every inch of his body, every muscle.

"Now let's have some fun," Damon whispered in Gabriella's ear, moving her hair away from her neck.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I got a lot of favorites and follows and even a positive review of my first chapter! Makes me want to get each chapter of this story out as quickly as possible! Hope everyone enjoys chapter two as much as they did chapter one!**

* * *

Gabriella woke up with a start. Gasping for air, she ran her hand back through her messed hair, fingers getting stuck in the knots. She slapped a hand to her neck, felt something crusty there.

Gabriella scrambled from the bed, almost tripping on her bed covers. She stopped halfway to the mirror. She wasn't dressed.

She started to breathe heavily. Her heartbeat quickened and she found herself shaking as she approached her reflection. She looked pale, almost sickly.

And there was dry blood all over her neck and shoulder.

Gabriella swallowed hard. How could it be happening all over again? How could she be going through the same trauma just the next day? What the hell was happening to her?

Gabriella took a step back and tripped over her shoes, stumbling back onto the bed.

She closed her eyes tight, a lump rising in her throat. She tried to swallow it back, but the tears came, flowing down her cheeks in little streams. She cried loudly, and she put her fist to her mouth to stifle the sobs. She didn't understand why she was trying to be quiet, though. No one was around to hear her scream.

No one was there to help her.

A face flashed, almost like a vision or distant memory, clear but unclear, the familiarity of the man tickling the edges of her mind.

Gabriella sat up. That was it. She was done. She wasn't going to take it anymore.

She had to leave Mystic Falls.

Nothing bad had ever happened to her when she'd been living in the little town she'd grown up in. The moment she moved to Virginia, things took a turn for the worst. Mystic Falls had to be the problem.

Gabriella used all the strength she had in her to make it to the shower and wash off the blood. The cold water woke her up, and she found herself able to make it out the front door, despite the fear of being attacked again. She had to get more boxes, and some packing tape, then she could leave. It was as simple as that. Her family would understand. She wasn't safe.

Wait… Gabriella couldn't tell her family that she'd woken from unconsciousness twice only to find herself covered in blood. They'd think she was crazy, especially if she hadn't called the police or been checked into a hospital for treatment on wounds that were never there.

Gabriella stopped on the bottom step of her porch, looking down at her feet. What was she going to do? She couldn't go back home to Georgia, not without a viable excuse. And besides, she'd needed to stay away from there. She'd only be putting herself back into the root of trouble if she went back home now, while her ex was still out there, looking to harass her at every open opportunity.

"Hey, it's you!"

Gabriella jumped, turning her head in the direction of the man's voice. She blinked twice, fear clouding her vision. The face was really familiar. "Jeremy, right?" she asked slowly, trying not to show how afraid she was.

"Yeah… Gabriella?"

She nodded her head in response. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Jeremy pointed to the house next door to hers. "I live here."

"… So we're neighbors?" she wondered aloud.

Jeremy smirked. "Really? That's a coincidence. Neat."

"…Yeah." Gabriella looked at the brick house. She vaguely recalled the fact that she was someone's neighbor being mentioned recently. As the conversation stood at the moment, it was obvious that she hadn't spoken about it with Jeremy.

"Uh… Are you okay? You look kinda spooked," the brunette asked Gabriella.

She snapped her gaze back in Jeremy's direction. "Yeah, I'm fine." She plastered on a fake smile.

"Glad to see you made it home alright last night. I was wondering if you'd be okay walking home in the rain."

"Yeah, me too." Gabriella swallowed and looked out at the street, at the passing traffic. She didn't recall ever leaving the Grill. That was the last thing she remembered, walking in and sitting down, talking to Jeremy and asking the bartender for a drink… She didn't have but barely dampened clothes on the floor either.

"So," Jeremy said, snapping Gabriella out of her thoughts. "Were you heading somewhere? I was just about to catch a ride with a friend. Maybe he can drop you off wherever it was you were going?"

Something about catching a ride with someone made butterflies rise in the pit of Gabriella's stomach. She shook her head. "No, I'm staying home today," she said, shaking her head. "I was just stepping out for some air."

"Ah, okay."

A red Coupe, a really _old_ but new-looking Coupe, pulled up to the sidewalk in front of Jeremy's house. A man who looked more Gabriella's age than Jeremy's got out of the driver's seat. He looked to the boy and smiled, then to her. "Good morning!" he said. His features were sharp and angular, and his hair was gelled in perfect spikes. He looked something out of a celebrity magazine.

"Hey, Stefan!" Jeremy called back.

Stefan nodded at Gabriella. "And morning to you. I don't think I've seen you around. Just move in?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. New state, new town, new home." She shrugged. "Apparently I'm Jeremy's neighbor."

"Yeah, I met her at the Grill last night," Jeremy told Stefan.

"Is that so?" Stefan's smile was almost genuine… There was some kind of pain or sadness behind it, though, that Gabriella couldn't exactly put her finger on. Something was definitely bothering the man.

Jeremy nodded his head. "Well, I've gotta get to school. Don't wanna be late. I'll see you 'round, Gabriella." Jeremy waved with a grin as he walked over to Stefan's Coupe and got in the passenger's seat.

"I guess I'll be seeing you later," Stefan said to Gabriella.

"Are you his big brother or something?" Gabriella asked.

Stefan shook his head. "No," he said on a chuckle. "I'm a friend of his sister's."

Gabriella nodded with a raise of her eyebrows. "Ah, I see. Drive safe," she said.

"Thank you." With that, Stefan got back inside his fancy ride and drove off to the Mystic Fall's high school.

Gabriella looked to her neighbor's house. Where was Jeremy's sister, then, that she couldn't take her own brother to school but her boyfriend could?

* * *

Something told Gabriella it was probably for the best if she didn't stray far from home that day. The air felt almost ominous as late afternoon came to pass, and she still had one more place to stop into to pick up some packing tape and something to toss in the microwave for dinner.

At the corner shop, Gabriella searched the isles for something appetizing, but nothing was really catching her interest. She hadn't eaten much all day. It was probably her nerves, but she just wasn't all that hungry.

Gabriella reached to grab a box of macaroni and cheese when a caramel hand reached to grab it too.

Gabriella looked up to meet eyes with Bonnie again. "Oh," Gabriella said.

"Oh, hi…" Bonnie looked a little perplexed. The girls stared at each other a minute before Bonnie grabbed two boxes of frozen mac and cheese and held a box out to Gabriella. "Here," she said.

Gabriella took the box. "Thanks."

Bonnie scratched the back of her head. "Uhm… I think we got off on the wrong start yesterday…"

Gabriella just shrugged. She didn't exactly know how to answer that. It had been strange, yes, but it wasn't exactly a horrible first impression.

"I'm sorry… about that." Bonnie put the box of macaroni into the basket in her hand. "You're new in town, right? Someone is throwing a party after school tomorrow…" Bonnie narrowed her eyes. "I guess you're not in high school are you?"

Gabriella shook her head. "No, I graduated last year."

"Well, I'm sure it'd be okay." Bonnie smiled, digging around in her vintage-looking purse. She pulled out a little pink flyer. "Here's the address. I know it's probably hard getting adjusted to a new home, so if it were me, I'd want to go to a party and meet some people."

Gabriella took the flyer from Bonnie and frowned slightly. "I don't know…"

Bonnie shrugged. "Well, it's up to you… I just feel bad about yesterday. I was hoping maybe we could get together at the party and maybe chat a bit, start over."

Gabriella folded the paper into a neat square and slipped it into the pocket of her coat. "I'll think about it." She smiled.

"Okay, great." Bonnie took a step back. "Well, I'm going to get going. I'll see you later." She left with a wave of her hand.

* * *

Gabriella hurried up the steps to her home as darkness began to fall. She fumbled with the keys in the lock, but managed to get inside just as the street lights started to flicker on. She dropped her bags on the floor at her feet and turned to lock the door. She sighed when the task was done, and bent down to pick up her bags to bring to the kitchen.

She put her groceries away, then slipped off her coat, pulling the little flyer from her pocket. She sat the paper on the island and slid her dinner into the microwave, setting the time.

Gabriella turned and leaned back against the counters. She glanced at the pink paper again. "But I'm supposed to be leaving," she said out loud, trying to dissuade herself from actually attending the party.

She crossed the room anyway, and examined the address, committing it to memory. She believed she'd actually passed that house on her shopping trip that day.

After dinner, Gabriella got herself ready for bed, pulling her gown from her dresser and slipping it on over her head, and tugging her socks off and tossing them into the laundry basket by her door.

She walked over to the partially opened window and shut it, locking the clasp tight. She looked out on the dimly lit street to see a blue Camaro convertible pulling up in front of Jeremy's home. A tall, dark man got out on the driver's side, and Jeremy got out on the passenger's side. The two guys seemed to be talking.

Something about the older man seemed too familiar, almost a personal kind of familiar. Gabriella was about to shake the feeling off until Jeremy hurried to his house and the man looked up into her bedroom window, directly at her.

Gabriella's heart gave a painful lurch and she grabbed her curtains quickly, pulling them shut.

Something behind that man's grin and translucent eyes was sinister. There was something off about that man, something dark and devilish. Gabriella didn't care to know exactly what the reason behind that was.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: So, here's chapter three! I'm trying as hard as I possibly can to get at least one chapter out a day.**

**I'm also writing a Vampire Diaries fan fiction called "Connections" with a friend, Alycenwonder. You can find the story here, on her page. It's about two friends with a little secret, who get caught in the middle of all the action going around Mystic Falls. It's a Klaus/OC and Damon/OC love story, and it follows the actual series pretty closely without being a retelling of it. Check it out!**

* * *

Gabriella opened her closet doors. Examining her small collection of clothing, she frowned. She'd decided to go on ahead and attend the party, if only not to hurt Bonnie's feelings, but something in the back of her mind was continuing to tell her it was a very bad idea. She couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to happen…

Gabriella shook her head. What could happen, really, that could possibly be worse than everything she's already been through? What could be worse than her ex trailing her wherever she went, trying to get back in her pants, driving her away from her home, the place she grew up in? What could be worse than waking up _twice_ covered in blood without a wound, without any explanation for it?

Gabriella forced herself to smile. Maybe she could make a friend; maybe if she had someone she'd be safer. Who would try anything when there was someone around who would care enough if she disappeared?

She grabbed one of her ballerina tops and some leggings and changed quickly, looking at the clock on her bedside table. The party was due to officially commence in about ten minutes.

* * *

Gabriella walked up to the house a few minutes before the party was supposed to start. Noticing all the high school seniors already there, she couldn't help but smile. It reminded her of home; Parties always started at least an hour before they were planned to begin.

Gabriella walked through the crowd of people, searching for Bonnie's face amongst the strangers. She walked inside, having no luck finding the girl in the front yard, and continued her search. She eventually found her in the sunroom, chatting with some of her friends.

Bonnie looked up and caught Gabriella's gaze. The girl smiled wide and waved at Gabriella, motioning her to come over. Gabriella obliged.

"So glad you decided to come!" Bonnie exclaimed.

Gabriella gave her a little smile. "Yeah, me too."

There was a female sitting with Bonnie on the cushioned bench under the window surrounded by plants. And Matt was with them. Bonnie motioned towards the girl. "Guys, this is Gabriella, and Gabriella, this is Caroline," she said, introducing her friends, "And this is Matt," she said, touching his shoulder.

"Yeah, we've already met," Matt told Bonnie. "Nice to see you again."

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah, you too."

"How'd you make out getting home with Damon?" he asked.

Gabriella furrowed her brow. "Damon?" Who was Damon?

Bonnie and Caroline looked at Gabriella strangely, then to Matt. "When did she meet Damon?" Bonnie asked.

"At the bar the other night," Matt explained. He looked to Gabriella again, with the same expression Bonnie and Caroline had written across their faces. "You know, the guy who wouldn't stop pestering you? The guy who paid for your drink? Drove you home in the storm?"

Gabriella rubbed her arm. "I…" She didn't know what he was talking about. Why didn't she remember any of this? She couldn't let on… They'd think she was crazy or something. "Oh!" she said, laughing, putting on a fake grin. "I remember now." She shrugged. "I just didn't remember his name. Sorry!"

Matt smiled. "Nah, that's fine."

Caroline crossed her arms and huffed at Matt. "Why in the world would you let Damon drive her home? You know he's weird." Caroline stood up and took Gabriella's hand. "I'm _so_ sorry you had to experience that with Damon. He's not normal… Like, _at all_." Caroline's voice grew serious at the addition to her comment.

"…Oh." The girl dropped Gabriella's hand. "He seemed… okay."

"He's really not all that bad, Care," Matt told the bubbly blond. "Ignore her, Gabriella."

Caroline folded her arms, frowning. "Fine, don't listen to me, Matt." She flashed her pearly whites at Gabriella. "Well, I am off to get a drink and join in on the dancing in the other room. It was nice meeting you."

"You too."

The girl bounded off, in search of the snack station.

"Sorry, about Caroline," Bonnie said. "She's been having a rough time with things lately. She usually isn't like that."

Gabriella shook her head. "No, it's fine. I understand."

"Oh look," Matt said. "It's Elena and Stefan."

Gabriella looked over her shoulder, at the two people coming into the house. They had the same aura Caroline gave off, like they were more exuberant than anyone else in the room, like there was something different about them. She'd gotten that feeling when she'd met Stefan.

"I know him," Gabriella told Bonnie and Matt. "He picked Jeremy up for school yesterday. I'm the kid's neighbor."

"Oh, really? Have you met Elena then?" Matt asked.

Gabriella raised an eyebrow at him. "No?"

"She's Jeremy's big sister," Bonnie explained. "She hasn't been well. I guess she's feeling a bit better today. She came to school, which is a good thing."

Gabriella watched as Stefan put a hand on Elena's shoulder, leaning in to whisper something in the girl's ear.

She hadn't ever seen Elena, not even once, since she'd moved into Mystic Falls. Whatever illness she'd had must have been a pretty bad one to keep her bedridden for over a week.

Gabriella glanced back at Bonnie and Matt. "Glad she's getting well."

"Thanks," Bonnie said. "Want to go do something? If we wanted to just talk we could have gone somewhere a lot quieter." She laughed.

"Sure," Gabriella replied, looking around.

"I'm going to go catch up with Elena and Stefan," Matt told the girls, walking off in the couple's direction.

Gabriella and Bonnie started walking around the large house aimlessly. "So, how long have you been in Mystic Falls?" Bonnie asked her.

"A little over a week."

"Liking it here?"

_No. _"Yeah. It's a nice little place."

"So, you met the infamous Damon Salvatore, huh?" Bonnie shook her head. "I'm not going to tell you to stay away from him, but he's like a grenade ready to blow the second someone pulls the clip."

"…Oh, okay." Gabriella scratched the back of her head. She had no clue who this Damon character was. How would she know to avoid him or whatever it was she decided to do about this guy? "Is he here? At the party, I mean."

"No. He's off doing God knows what. I imagine something with Klaus, from what Caroline has filled me in on."

"Klaus?" Gabriella shrugged.

"Sorry." Bonnie looked Gabriella in the eyes. "I keep forgetting you don't know anyone… Klaus is the older brother to the girl who is throwing this party, Rebekah."

"Oh, okay. Rebekah's your friend then."

Bonnie shook her head. "No… It's complicated."

Gabriella pushed her hair behind her ear, giggling slightly. "That's fine. I have complications back in Georgia too."

"Really? Is that why you moved?" Bonnie asked. The girls found their way to the snack bar. Caroline was nowhere in sight, but she seemed like the flighty type anyway, the kind of girl who's never doing enough.

"Yeah… Let's just say my ex is a stalker and he wouldn't leave me alone, so I had to get away." _Far away._ "Long story."

"Sorry to hear that."

Gabriella shrugged her shoulders. "It's fine."

The girls munched on some food in silence for a little while. Questions surfaced in Gabriella's mind as she stood with the dark-haired Bonnie. What had she meant about "being hurt"? Why couldn't she remember who this Damon was?

"What are you thinking about?" Bonnie asked. She hesitantly reached out to touch Gabriella.

The blonde instinctively moved her arm behind her back, as if avoiding Bonnie's touch. "What you said when we first met… What did you mean?"

Bonnie's eyes flickered from happiness to nervousness. "I wondered when you'd bring that up."

"How much do you know about me?"

Bonnie shook her head. "Let's leave, talk somewhere more private. This house has ears."

Gabriella pursed her lips in a tight line, following Bonnie through the crowd of people, and out the front door. Bonnie approached a white Prius, and she opened the passenger's door. "You wanna get in?"

Gabriella nodded, and got inside the nice, little car as Bonnie walked around to the driver's side. She climbed in, started the car, and pulled out into traffic.

Gabriella watched the small girl carefully. "The house has ears?"

Bonnie sighed. She was obviously fighting a battle in her mind, her thoughts conflicting. She could see the struggle in the girl's expression. "It's hard to explain," she said. "But a lot of things are coming together… You don't remember Damon, but Matt says you two were at the Grill together… The first time I met you, when I touched you, I sensed something dark had tried consuming you…"

Gabriella's heartbeat sped. What was Bonnie talking about? Something about actually finding the answers scared Gabriella. She grabbed the 'oh shit' handle. "Maybe I should go home," she said.

"You don't want to know what's going on?" Bonnie looked at Gabriella, a seriousness in her eyes. "I won't hurt you."

Gabriella's grip on the handle loosened slightly. She dropped her hand to her lap.

"That's better," Bonnie said softly, like a mother talking to her child.

"Go ahead," Gabriella said. She held her breath.

"I really shouldn't be the one explaining this to you… But this world is darker than it seems, Gabriella… Tell me something… Have you really been hurt, like physically, I mean… Since you've been here?" Bonnie took a right turn at a stop light.

"…I have," Gabriella answered, looking away from the girl.

"I thought so… Damn it, Damon…"

"Damon?"

"Tell me exactly what happened." Bonnie seemed a bit on edge.

"I woke up in the woods with blood all over my neck… And then the next day the same way, but in my bed…"

"Compulsion," Bonnie told her. "To make you forget things…"

"Wait, what? Like I was hypnotized or something? That doesn't explain the blood."

Bonnie pulled into the parking lot of the local park. She got out of the car rather quickly, and Gabriella assumed she'd better follow her.

Bonnie led Gabriella to a pile of leaves, the first ones to fall from the trees, signaling the start of Autumn. "Don't freak out," Bonnie told her, taking her hand. "Please. Just stay here. Don't run."

Gabriella swallowed hard. "Okay."

Bonnie closed her eyes, raising her hand over the small pile of dead leaves at their feet. She took a deep breath, and the leaves beneath her hand started to rise, floating.

Gabriella took a step backwards, but Bonnie held tight to the girl's hand. She moved the hand over the leaves back to her side, and they dropped. "I can't do much more than that at the moment… I'm having issues with the Spirits."

Gabriella and Bonnie's eyes locked. Gabriella felt her heart pounding hard, as if ready to break out of her chest. "What are you?" she breathed.

"I'm a witch," Bonnie stated. "And you were attacked by a vampire."

One minute Gabriella was fine. The next she felt the world spinning beneath her. She stumbled over something, and almost as if she were watching it happen, and not feeling it happen, she fell back, the world going black around her.


End file.
